We need your support now more than ever as The Greater Cincinnati Tri-State Chapter is no longer receiving funding from the United Way of Greater Cincinnati. Additionally, donors are no longer are able to designate their donation to our local Red Cross chapter. This situational change requires your local Red Cross to look for new funding resources from corporations and individuals alike.
The need is constant in our community. As we continue to serve the people of 11 counties in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana, we ask that you please continue your support of the work of the Red Cross in the Cincinnati area by donating directly to the Greater Cincinnati Tri-State Chapter.
You can learn more about our urgent need here.
Partner with your local Red Cross on its annual Clara Barton Humanitarian of the Year Award. It’s a fundraiser held each Spring to benefit the Greater Cincinnati Tri-State chapter. Contact Laura Shepherd, Director of Development for sponsorship at laura.shepherd@redcross.org or via cell at 937-336-6659
We help people in our community whose homes have been destroyed or sustained major damage caused by fire, tornadoes, flooding, or other local disasters by providing emotional support, emergency financial assistance, sheltering, food, health and mental health aid, and case work. We respond to hundreds of disasters in the Tri-State each year, directly assisting thousands of our neighbors impacted by these emergencies.
West Chester, Ohio
We respond to disasters like the fire at the Union Station Apartments in West Chester in May of 2024. In that fire, 23 people were displaced from their homes and helped by our dedicated volunteers. The morning of the fire, many of those displaced residents gathered at the Red Cross shelter set up for them at the West Chester library. “Screaming and yelling down the stairs, nothing like you’d ever experienced.” Red Cross volunteer GG Watson, from Cincinnati, listened intently as one resident shared his experience escaping the apartment fire. GG’s sympathetic ear, and caring hugs, were leant to everyone who felt the need to talk—providing a comforting strength needed at a time like this.
Cincinnati volunteer Lawanda Banks, who managed the shelter’s operations, worked with volunteers from our Disaster Health Services team to provide much needed medical supplies for a family who lost everything in the fire; as well as provided clothing for another woman who escaped with only her pajamas. GG, Lawanda, and our other local volunteers spoke with each resident displaced by the fire to learn about and meet their specific needs.
Melbourne, Kentucky
In the southern part of the Greater Cincinnati Tri-State Chapter, we assisted residents impacted by the multi-family fire on Mary Ingles Highway in Melbourne, Kentucky in March of 2024. That fire involved 29 units impacting 49 individuals. Among the Red Cross volunteers helping those affected by the fire was Carl Biery, Sr., who’s volunteered with the Red Cross for 55 years. "I am always proud to represent the Red Cross STILL each time I am called out even after all the many years and thousands of disaster responses." Carl said.
Batavia, Ohio
Volunteer Bob West of Cincinnati was among the volunteers who assisted 60 residents who were displaced due to an apartment fire in Batavia. “It was rewarding for me to stand in the parking lot of that apartment complex at 11 o’clock on a Friday night helping the residents make order out of chaos,” Bob said. “They stood there watching the firefighters, and what was happening around them, not knowing what to do next.” Bob and the other Red Cross volunteers were able to let them know “what to do next.” The volunteers stayed on scene until 4 a.m. Saturday, making sure that every resident who needed Red Cross assistance received it. The Red Cross worked with them through the weekend opening cases and meeting their emergency needs.
In addition to helping residents after disasters strike, we work with individuals, families, schools, and corporations in the Tri-State in advance of emergencies providing peace of mind through our disaster preparedness programs. Being prepared may not prevent a disaster, but it will give you confidence to meet the challenge. We install thousands of FREE smoke alarms in homes across the Tri-State each year through the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign. Every year, we teach hundreds of young school children the importance of disaster safety education and preparedness through our Prepare with Pedro program. We teach individuals how to perform Hands-Only CPR so life-saving care can be delivered until professional responders arrive.
Trenton, Ohio
Red Cross volunteers Ty Allen and James Peters walk through a neighborhood in Trenton, knocking on doors and installing FREE smoke alarms in homes of local residents. Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half—knowing their work can be lifesaving is what motivates our volunteers. In addition to the FREE smoke alarm installations, volunteer teams like Ty and James, also provide disaster safety information and help residents draw up their personalized home fire escape plans. To receive FREE state-of-the-art smoke alarms for your home, call our hotline at 844-207-4509.
Hebron, Kentucky
Red Cross volunteer Diane Lux of Mason, Ohio teaches kindergarteners at Thornewilde Elementary School in Hebron what to do in the case of an emergency through our Prepare with Pedro program. It’s a 30- to 45-minute preparedness education program for grades K-2 that teaches students how to be prepared and take action for either home fires or a local hazard. You can learn more here.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Volunteer Michael Francis of Middletown, Ohio teaches a hands-only CPR class at the senior center at the New Prospect Baptist Church in Cincinnati. Hands-only CPR, or compression-only CPR, is simple and easy to learn and perform on adults. Many people who survive a cardiac emergency are helped by a bystander. “That’s why it’s so important to teach hands-only CPR,” Michael said. “As a Red Cross volunteer, I’m honored to be able to share the skills I have with members of my community.” Click here if you’re interested in scheduling any of our Preparedness Training.
We help members of the military, veterans and their families prepare for, cope with, and respond to, the challenges of military service. From the first day of enlistment, service members and their families are eligible for Red Cross assistance.
Maineville, Ohio
The Maupin Family of Maineville, Ohio knows first-hand the work of their local Red Cross. 15-year-old Connor Maupin was seriously injured during a Moeller High School football game. Connor had suffered a severe head injury—he was unconscious, unresponsive, and unable to move. That’s when the Red Cross stepped in. Connor’s older brother Ben was serving in Iraq, the Red Cross helped to bring him home. “I’m just in awe with how it played out and so thankful for the Red Cross,” said Leah Maupin, Connor and Ben’s mother. “We have a heart now for the Red Cross at a level that we never had before.” You can read more about the Maupin’s story here.
90¢ of every dollar we spend delivers care
20 out of 20 standards for charitable accountability met
90% of our workforce is volunteer
2020's volunteer organization of the year
2.26x more brand lift than other charities
